Dark Avenger, Light Guardian
by Xanderlike
Summary: Or the one where Ben is a Space Batman and Rey is a Galactic Supergirl. Ben Solo sold his soul to the Dark Side to avenge his parents and the Jedi Academy. He believes that Rey can be the hero the Galaxy deserves- if they can just find Luke Skywalker to train her.
1. Chapter 1

"Have you guys ever heard of Kylo Ren-Slayer?"

Matt the Radar Technician's head bobbed nervously as he followed the Storm Troopers into the darkened engine room. His eyes behind the thick glasses he wore seemed to try to sheer through shadows. He swallowed nervously, and audibly.

FN-2158 scoffed. "Kylo? That's just a story told by vets to make us rookies soil our armor. There's no such person."

"That's just it." Matt coughed nervously. "The stories say he might not be a person."

"What have you heard?" FN-2194 asked in a scared voice. He had just been assigned to duty aboard the transport freighter. He didn't like the frightened look on the children's faces as they herded them into the cargo container. It brought up memories he was trying very hard to forget from his own childhood.

"Some people say that went Supreme Leader Snoke destroyed Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy the spirits of the slaughtered students merged to form one vengeful spirit dedicated to overthrowing Snoke and anyone who fights for him." Matt whispered. He waved his light about. "The power junctions have to be around here somewhere."

"The dead don't come back," FN-2158 snarled. "What else have you heard … Matt?" He didn't like the technician. He didn't understand why the techs rated names while the troopers who did the real fighting were only given numbers.

"Some people say that Skywalker went mad and that he took on the identity of Kylo himself."

"That can't be true," FN-2158 argued. "Snoke wouldn't be looking for Skywalker if he knew that he was really Kylo. Assuming that such a person existed- which he doesn't."

Captain Phasma was very emphatic on the point that none of her troopers admit that Kylo Ren-Slayer existed.

"There's one last theory I've heard," Matt admitted. If possible, he looked even more scared.

"What is it?" FN-2194 asked in a faint whisper.

"They say that Kylo Ren is really Darth Vader." Matt swallowed again. "That he returned from the dead to exact an unholy vengeance on Snoke for daring to try to recreate the Empire."

This time even FN-2158 had no response.

"Let's get this done," he said finally. "Captain Phasma wants this freighter back in hyper space ASAP. The sooner we get the Radar dish repaired the sooner we can get back to the Finalizer."

"The controls should be right over there," Matt said, pointing his flashlight into a corner. "I'll go take care of it. You guys just watch to make sure that there's no one or nothing here to get me." He headed over to the corner.

"What could be here?" FN-2194 inquired. He nervously fingered his blaster rifle.

"I've heard of giant eels in trash compactors," Matt replied from the darkness. "Who knows what could be down here in the dark?"

"FN-2194, you stay here. I'll go do a quick sweep of the perimeter. You call out if you need assistance. That goes for you too, Matt."

"Yes, sir," the technician called. FN-2158 could hear him working.

Matt seemed to be a very strange person, but at least he was a hard worker.

The freighter wasn't especially large. Normally, the First Order wouldn't have been transporting recruits this young- they hadn't even started conditioning yet- but the education center had been attacked by the Resistance. They had barely managed to get this group of cadets away before it was completely destroyed.

FN-2158 cursed. Leia Organa had died nearly 20 years ago along with her misbegotten smuggler husband, but the Resistance- her legacy- seemed determined to oppose the First Order at every turn.

The engine room was fairly small as befitted such a small ship. FN-2158 wasn't trained to be an engineer- or a pilot or technician, for that matter- but at first nothing seemed out of place.

At first.

He found some new piece attached to the engine that he didn't recognize. They looked fairly new, too. By itself, that didn't mean anything. The First Order was constantly upgrading its equipment. But somehow, FN-2158's gut was telling him that this was something else.

"Matt?" he called out. "Can you come over here? There's something I need you to take a look at."

Silence.

"Matt? FN-2194 are you there?"

More silence.

"Kriff," FN-2158 cursed. He drew his blaster rifle. The smart thing to do would be to call for backup- of course, if it were nothing then Phasma would not be happy with him. As commanding officer, he would be responsible for any infiltration of the ship.

He did not call for backup.

"Let it be eels," he muttered to himself. "Please let it be eels. Or Rathtars. Anything but the Resistance."

When he returned to the radar dish controls, there was no blood.

FN-2194 was there. Standing at attention as though Supreme Leader Snoke himself were on his way. He was poster perfect.

"2194? Why the kriff didn't you answer me?" Fn-2158 demanded.

FN-2194 said nothing.

FN-2158 angrily reached out and grabbed the other man. He shook him. "Answer me when I'm talking to you."

"He can't;"

The voice wasn't Matt's.

FN-2158 let go of 2194 and grabbed for his blaster rifle- and it flew right out of his hands.

"He can't answer because I told him not to."

The man who stepped out of the shadows was definitely not Matt.

He was tall. Wearing a mask with silver trim and dark robes.

A blood-red Starbird- symbol of the Resistance- and the Rebellion before it- was emblazoned on his chest.

"Where's Matt-?"

"He can't help you now. Do you know who I am?"

"You're Kylo Ren-Slayer," FN-2158 whispered.

"Yes."

"You're _real."_

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Please-"

Kylo raised his hand. "You will take FN-2194 and head to the nearest Escape Pod. You will eject. You will tell your rescuers there was a radiation leak that required you to abandon ship. You will remember nothing of me or this conversation."

"I will take FN-2194 to the nearest Escape Pod. I will eject. I will take my rescuers there was a radiation leak that required us to abandon ship. I will remember nothing of you or this conversation."

"FN-2194, you will say the same thing. Now go- both of you."

The two Troopers walked out.

Kylo sighed beneath his mask. He had killed Stormtroopers in the past, and he would doubtless do so in the future, but he never liked to do so unless he had no other choice. They were all victims of the First Order- just as his parents had been.

 _Kylo, you're a terrible Darksider,_ he whispered to himself.

He had chosen vengeance rather than justice. He had chosen the path of the Darkside rather than the Light. He had broken his uncle's heart when he did so.

But no matter how hard he tried, he was still the son of his mother and father, and the flickering light of Ben Solo's soul remained in the shadowed heart of Kylo Ren-Slayer.

No, he did not want to kill the Stormtroopers.

Captain Phasma- the woman who twisted _children_ until they were loyal to the First Order that had enslaved them- was another matter.

 _She_ he could kill.

Kylo ignited his blood red light saber and made his way to the bridge.

..**..

He scrambled the ship's communications center with a device that one of his allies (not a friend because he had no friends) had made for him. No one on the bridge would know that anything was wrong until they tried to signal the Finalizer.

By then, it would be too late.

He stealthily made his way to the bridge. The mind trick was useful, but it took energy- a small amount on an individual basis, but the cost grew the more he did it- and he could not afford to waste too much. Phasma was not a Force user, but she was a formidable hand to hand combatant- possibly even more dangerous than any of Snoke's Ren Knights.

Kylo allowed himself a small smile behind his mask.

The Knights of Ren were gone.

He had killed them all- one by one, he had destroyed the men and women who had turned on Luke's Academy. Some of them had cursed him as they died, some had begged for their lives, a few had even tried to bargain- a Jedi Knight would have spared them when they surrendered. That's what the Code demanded.

That was why Kylo could not be a Jedi.

He killed them. Each and every one. He killed them with efficiency in lieu of mercy. He destroyed them as they had destroyed the Jedi.

Now only Phasma and Armitage Hux stood between Kylo and Snoke.

And the old man feared him.

He could feel it in the Force.

No matter what it took, he would find the strength he needed in the Darkside to destroy Supreme Leader Snoke and put an end to the First Order. He would finish what his grandfather had started. He would bring peace to the galaxy.

He would avenge his parents.

He would avenge the Jedi Academy.

He would make Snoke pay.

No matter what it cost him.

..**..

It had to be Kylo Ren-Slayer.

Phasma muttered a soft curse inside the security of her armor. Her education center- the one she had created to provide Supreme Leader Snoke with the finest Stormtroopers so far- was gone. The shields had been disabled, allowing those Force-damned Resistance pilots to blow it to hell. She had barely managed to grab a score of her finest recruits and get them on this freighter before the center had been lost. The Resistance was too soft-hearted to _murder_ children, but Phasma had no doubt that she would never see her youngest recruits again- unless it was at the wrong end of a blaster rifle.

And it all had to be due to Kylo.

Phasma growled. She paced the bridge. She had encountered Kylo once face to face. She did not want to do so again. "More speed."

"We're redlining it now," the pilot told her softly. He didn't say it defiantly. "There's no sign the Resistance has any idea where we went. We should be safe."

"Never assume safety!" If he wasn't her only pilot, she would have killed him for that. "We were betrayed. Someone shut off the shields. Someone broadcast-ed our location to the Resistance. It happened once. It could happen again."

The pilot wisely said nothing more.

The ship lurched.

"What just happened?!" Phasma demanded.

"The engine! Something shut down the engine- shunted us right out of hyperspace!"

"Kriff!" Phasma swore. "Call the _Finalizer!_ "

Hux would never let her hear the end of it, but she wasn't too proud to call for help now.

"Com's are down!" the communications officer cried, flipping switches and slamming her hands on the control board. "I can't raise anyone!"

"Kriff!" Phasma swore again. She drew her vibro-blade. "Stay here. Work on getting control back on the ship or figure out a way to call for backup! I'll be right back!"

She didn't want to leave the bridge, but she had to. "FN-2194, FN-2158, report!"

They didn't answer.

"Captain Phasma!" the pilot reported. "One of our escape pods is gone!"

Kriff.

There was hope that whoever had shut down the engines had used the escape pod to flee her vengeance. It was possible the escape pod was an equipment malfunction. It was even _remotely_ possible that her Stormtroopers had defected.

But she knew her enemy was still aboard.

She could feel _it._ She could feel _him._

She knew what she had to do. "Bridge, this is Phasma. I'm heading to the cargo bay. Notify me of any trouble."

"Acknowledged," the pilot replied. "Com thinks she can bounce a distress signal through our passive sensors. It will take time, but it should be received by the First Order."

"Do it."

The recruits she had managed to save were in a cargo container. She had stowed them on board even as the center was being destroyed. She simply _couldn't_ return to Snoke empty-handed.

He was waiting for her in the cargo bay.

He was standing there in the shadows. A tall figure in black, wielding a blood red light saber.

"You still wear the clothing that Supreme Leader Snok chose for you," Phasma said as she drew her vibro-blade. The weapon could block a light saber's blows, but it wasn't as light or fast to use.

"With modifications." Kylo tapped the Starbird symbol on his chest.

"You became a rebel when you could have been so much more. Weakling!"

"I'm my father's son- and my mother's." Kylo weaved his blade. "Let's finish this."

"We will- but in a manner of my choosing." Phasma wrapped her free hand around one of the cargo chains.

Kylo watched her, bemused. "I have no intention of using the Force to bring you to me, Phasma."

"I know." Phasma grinned beneath her helmet. "Emergency override Phasma clearance! Cargo bay open now!"

The cargo doors flew open and the bay was exposed to the vacuum of space.

Phasma grinned. She was strong enough to hold onto the chain- for a few minutes at least. That would be more than enough time for the Ren-Slayer to be blown out into space.

But he didn't move. His cape flapped wildly, and he leaned forward like a man fighting a strong wind, but he did not fly out into space. He did not let go of that light saber. Step by step he moved towards her.

Phasma swore.

And then the chains holding the cargo container- the one holding the students from her education center- snapped and the container flew into space.

"No!" Phasma cried.

Snoke would never forgive her for this failure.

Kylo watched the container fly out into space. He stared at Phasma for an instant, then attached the light saber to his belt-

And he let space claim him.

Phasma gaped in surprise. "Close the cargo bay doors!"

First the force shield, and then the doors themselves shut.

Phasma slouched in relief.

Any other man would be dead, but somehow she knew that Kylo was not. She knew that he had _chosen_ to let go- that he had allowed himself to be sucked into space when he saw the cargo container go. He wasn't a man to let himself die- not when he had a mission to fulfill.

So why had he let go-?

And then she knew.

She knew now what she would offer to Snoke in exchange for her life. For this, he might spare her life. For this, he might even raise her over Hux.

She knew Kylo's weakness.

Kylo Ren-Slayer. Murderer of the Knights of Ren. Kylo, the fearsome Darksider who waged a one man war against the First Order with an implacable hatred that made him more dangerous than a squadron of Resistance fighters. Kylo, the only man alive that Snoke himself feared, had a weakness that they could exploit.

He had _compassion._

He hadn't let go because his strength had failed him. He had let go to _save_ the recruits.

Kylo the Ren-Slayer still valued innocent lives.

..**...

Kylo was falling though space.

His suit had a built in air supply. His uniform and his mastery of the Force would protect him from the ravages of space- at least for a short time.

The children would not be so lucky.

The cargo container would not immediately lose all its atmosphere, but its inhabitants only had minutes before it ran out. Panic would make them breathe faster. They would die long before some star or planet or moon pulled them in.

Kylo reached out with the Force, grabbing onto the cargo container with invisible claws. He pulled himself toward it. He pressed a button on his belt. He gritted his teeth as he grabbed the container.

Life was not meant to survive here.

But Kylo Ren-Slayer had faced death more than once, and he was not about to give up now. Not for himself. Not for the children.

He extended the Force around the container, trying to seal it off, to keep the air from bleeding out into space. It was dangerous- risky- he could inadvertently tear a hole in the container and make things a thousand times worse- but he had to give them as much time as possible.

And with every passing second, they were drifting farther and farther way from Phasma, and his vengeance.

Kriff.

If the children died, this would all be for nothing.

The seconds felt like minutes. The minutes felt like hours. He felt his concentration start to fray.

And then a familiar ship dropped out hyperspace.

His com crackled to life.

"Hey, boss," Rose Tico said with her usual cheer. "I _told_ Chewie those modifications to your suit would be worth the trouble."

"You were right, Rose," Kylo admitted wearily.

Chewbacca barked a greeting.

"I'm fine, Chewie. We need to get this container in the _Falcon._ Lives are at stake."

Chewbacca growled.

"Yes. I know lives are _always_ at stake. Save the scolding for later, Chewie. Once I'm safely aboard, we have to contact the Resistance. The First Order is looking for Luke- and I think they may be close to finding him."

Chewbacca roared.

"Yes, we're going to stop them. We'll stop them or my name isn't ..."

..**...

And countless light years away, a lonely girl on Jakku woke up in the abandoned AT-AT that served as her home. She shouted a name.

"Ben!"

A dream.

It was only a dream.

It _had_ to be a dream.

Rey forced her breathing to calm down.

"They're just dreams. He's not real. It didn't happen. I'm just having these dreams because of the stories I've heard at the Outpost. There is no Kylo Ren-Slayer. There is no Ben. He's not real. None of this is real."

She told herself that over and over until she fell asleep.

(But she knew she was lying to herself.)

 _Author's Note: And here we go. I've seen one other story once that used Kylo as a Batman analogue, but nothing quite like this. Hope you're all entertained enough to want to read more. :D_


	2. Chapter 2

The _Falcon_ wasn't large enough to hold two dozen children for long, no matter how well behaved they were. These children of the First Order- these stolen, frightened children- were quiet and obedient, but their numbers were more than the ship could hold. The sooner they were off the _Falcon,_ the better it would be for everyone.

Kylo Ren-Slayer sat in the cockpit with Chewbacca the Wookie. They were piloting the ship to a rendezvous point while Rose Tico did her best to keep the children entertained. Kylo cursed low and softly to himself while they flew.

But he was not speaking so softly that Chewie could not hear him.

"I let Phasma escape," Kylo berated himself. "I shouldn't have gotten so distracted-"

 _"Your parents would be proud, Ben._ " Chewie kept his eyes on the controls. He hated seeing his godson in those unholy black garments but there was nothing to be done until the children were off the ship.

"I failed them. Phasma lives. _Snoke_ lives. I swore to avenge them- but my pull to the Light keeps me from fulfilling my vow. I'm too damn weak."

Chewie growled. _"I loved them too. Han would not want vengeance- not at this price."_ The Wookie laid a furry hand on Kylo's wrist. _"You chose to preserve life- every time you do that, you honor Han and Leia. We will bring justice to Snoke-"_

"I'm not interested in justice," Kylo spat out. "I want vengeance. I watched my parents die. Snoke murdered the padawans of the New Jedi Academy right in front of me. He tortured me. I will pay any price if it means I can have that scarred monster dead at my feet!"

Chewie sighed. He had had this argument with Ben many times. No matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to convince him to leave revenge- and Kylo Ren-Slayer- behind.

An old Alderaan freighter was waiting for them when they reached the uninhabited star system. "Chewie, send the pass code. We're not going to dock with that thing till we're sure that it's from Admiral Ackbar."

The Wookie hit the transmitter. " _Code received, and countersign transmitted."_

"Good. Let's get these kids off our ship. We've got more important things to do than play nursemaids to a bunch of First Order cadets. Force only knows when I'll get another shot at Phasma."

" _You will find her again. The First Order is up to something."_

"The First Order is always up to something."

" _Something large. Something specific."_

"They want to find Luke Skywalker." _And if only Luke would come back, it could make all the difference for the Resistance. They need him badly._

 _"It's more than that. My smuggling contacts say the First Order has been building something massive."_

"Just what the Galaxy needs. Another Deathstar." Kylo snorted.

The _Falcon_ docked with a smooth click.

 _"Come on. We should help Rose with the children."_ Chewie stood up and walked out of the cockpit.

The First Order Cadets- the oldest of them no more than ten Standard years of age- quieted down as the tall Wookie and the nearly as tall Man In Black joined them.

"It's okay, kids," Rose said brightly, handing out another bottle of water to one of the children. "They won't hurt you."

Chewbacca knelt down beside one of the children and growled a hello.

The little girl broke into a shy smile and hugged the giant Wookie.

A little boy stared up at Kylo. There was no fear on his face. If anything, there was … a smile?

The boy motioned for the Ren-Slayer to come closer.

Curious, Kylo knelt down beside the boy.

"Hope," the boy said, pressing his hand against the Starbird emblazoned on Kylo's chest. "Hope!"

"That's what it means," Kylo told the boy in his electronic monotone. He was smiling beneath his helmet.

The boy touched Kylo's helmet. He smiled. "Hope."

Kylo shook his head. "Not me, little one. Look to hope in someone else." He gently rose to his full height and stood protectively before the children as the airlock opened.

Rose broke into a run and hugged the first person through the door. "Paige!"

"Rose!" The two Tico sisters hugged each other tightly.

A young blonde woman stood behind Paige. "Hello, Rose. Chewie." Her eyes went to Kylo. "Be- Kylo."

"Ms. Connix." Kylo nodded his head. "We should get the children safely aboard your ship. I am certain that you have many important duties to take care of."

"That's true," Kaydel Connix said with a sad smile. "We brought you some additional supplies- food, medicine, some fuel ..."

"Thank the Admiral, for me," Kylo said, grateful for his all concealing helmet. _Kay ..._

It did not take long to transfer the children onto the freighter.

Chewie handled most of the fresh supplies that were loaded onto the _Falcon_. Wookie strength made it no great feat, and he wanted to give Kylo and Rose time to speak to their visitors in private. _Han, your son is a good man … if only he would accept it. If only I could only convince him …_

"Come back with me, Rose," Paige whispered to her sister as she helped Rose store the goods that Chewie brought back onto the _Falcon._

"Kylo needs me."

"He has the Wookie. It's not safe for you."

"Like being a Resistance gunner is safe for you?" Rose eyed her sister. "I'd be just another technician for the Resistance. But here... with Kylo … I'm making a real difference. He _needs_ me, Paige."

"Kriff, you're not in love with him, are you?" Paige demanded in a frightened whisper. "He's a madman, a homicidal lunatic. He doesn't care about anyone."

"You're wrong, Paige. He saved me from that First Order death camp. He and Chewie nursed me back to health." Rose sighed. "I … don't love him the way you mean, but he's in my heart. Kylo needs people to care about- to care about him. It's keeping him from becoming another Darth Vader. He needs me- and the Resistance needs Kylo Ren-Slayer out there helping to keep Snoke busy."

"You can't save him, Rose." Paige laid a hand on her little sister's shoulder. "You can't save him from himself."

"Maybe not." Rose straightened up. "But I can damn well try."

Meanwhile, Kay Connix found herself once more in the company of a man she had never been able to forget or put behind her no matter how hard she tried. "Your mother misses you."

"My mother is dead." Kylo had not taken off his mask. He didn't dare. Not in front of Kay.

"Amilyn Holdo adopted you. She took you in-"

"She took me in because she was in love with my mother, and I was the last thing left of Leia Organa Solo." Kylo didn't look at her. Finally, he sighed. "How is she?"

"She would be better if you came home. The Resistance needs Ben Solo." Kay sighed. "She's trying so hard, but she's not Leia. None of them are. She needs your help, Ben."

"I can do more good out here."

"Ackbar and the others are trying, but they don't have your mother's connections … her charisma. If the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa stood with the Resistance, it would attract so much more assistance … so much more funding."

"It's all about money, isn't it?"

"You know that's not true."

Kylo said nothing.

"I miss you, Ben. It seems so long ago … when we were together. Do you remember?"

"I remember."

"It was right before you went to your uncle's academy. Young love." Kay chuckled wryly. "I thought I was going to marry you someday."

Kylo said nothing.

"But you're married to something else, aren't you? That damn light saber. That black mask. You chose the Dark Side over me."

"I needed to avenge my parents. I couldn't do that as Ben Solo. Once the Academy fell, I knew that I could never be a Jedi. Luke had good intentions, but the Jedi way is too soft. Luke's refusal to bow to Palpatine did not stop him; only the power of Darth Vader did that. That's what I need. This is who I am. This is what I need to be. Ben Solo … he was weak and foolish. I had to destroy him to become the person I needed to be."

"I miss Ben Solo."

"Sometimes I do too. Give Amilyn my regards." He turned to walk away.

"Ben."

He paused.

"Poe Dameron. He's a pilot in the Resistance. He was a few years older than you. Do you remember him?"

"I remember him."

"He's … important to me." Kay looked away. "Admiral Ackbar sent him on a mission to Jakku. He's supposed to find Lor San Tekka. Rumor says that the Church of the Force has a map to Luke Skywalker."

Kylo stood up even straighter. "The First Order is trying to find Luke. If they have heard the same rumors, they could be on their way there now."

"I know." Kay reached out and touched the black mask that she hated so much because of what it kept hidden from her. "Would you go there and help Poe? Make sure he's safe? I … it would mean a great deal to me."

Kylo touched her face with a gloved hand. Memories of Kay as a young girl … of himself as a young man … dreams of what could have been but never was. "I'll do what I can to keep him safe."

"Thank you, Ben." Kay touched his mask one final time. "I have to believe you'll come again some day, Ben. And when you do … I'll be there to be your friend. I hope you know that."

Kylo let his hand drop. "I know. Get back to your ship. I need to get back to my base before we head to Jakku. Goodbye, Kay."

"Goodbye, Ben."

They held each other's hands for a moment longer, and then Kay walked away.

As they both knew she always would.

..**..

"Ben ..."

Rey shook her head. It had happened again. This time while she was awake. A vision of another person's life … a vision so enthralling that she had awareness of her surroundings.

That could get her killed on Jakku.

"These fantasies are getting worse," she murmured to herself. "I have to stop them. But how?"

Even if there had been a doctor on Jakku, she could not afford one. There were a few scavengers who knew something about setting broken bones or stitching up wounds … but Rey had never met anyone who could heal an ailing mind.

She could not go mad. She couldn't. She didn't want to lose her mind before her family had a chance to return to her.

"The Church of the Force," she murmured to herself. "I've heard of that. I've heard of Lor San Tekka. Maybe that's why I dreamed of him. He lives in Tuanul, in the Kelvin Ravine. I can go to him. Tell him about these strange visions. Maybe he can help me."

Rey sighed. It would cost her precious time and portions, but she would go to Lor San Tekka. If nothing else, she could prove these dreams, these visions, were just desert phantoms.

Yes. She would go to Tuanul.

Rey shouldered her staff and made her way to her speeder bike. "The sooner I fix this, the sooner I can get back to my real life."

She got on the bike and took off.


End file.
